1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system and a video camera for an endoscope, in which a picked-up image of an organism is transmitted to a receiver by radio control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since in emergency medical treatment, or at the side of a patient""s bed, an easy procedure is necessary, a portable cordless endoscope which is provided with a light source and a power source therefore, so that no mechanical connection to an external light source apparatus is necessary, has been used. An endoscope apparatus has been proposed in which a video camera is connected to an eyepiece portion of the cordless endoscope, so that an endoscopic image picked-up by the video camera can be used for diagnosis. In the endoscope apparatus, it is possible to provide a TV monitor in which the endoscopic image is indicated as in an electronic endoscope, a video printer which is adapted to print the endoscopic image, an image recorder in which the viewed endoscopic image is recorded on a recording medium, or a filing device in which the endoscopic image is filed with additional information such as information of a patient or date of diagnosis, etc., in accordance with need. However, since it is necessary to operate the peripheral devices, advantages such as the ease of operation of the cordless endoscope are sacrificed.
Moreover, in the endoscope apparatus mentioned above, to adjust, for example, the brightness or enhancement level of the video camera, it is necessary to confirm the brightness or enhancement level through an indication portion of the camera body after an operation switch provided on the camera body is operated. The indication portion makes the video camera large and heavy. Furthermore, in general, the user views the endoscopic image through the TV monitor, and hence it is considerably troublesome for the user to confirm the adjustment in the indication portion of the camera body.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope apparatus in which the endoscopic image can be recorded or printed, etc., by an easy operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a small and light endoscope apparatus in which information (video settings) of an image pickup device of the endoscope is indicated and confirmed in a TV monitor.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, an endoscope system including an endoscope, a TV monitor, and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor is provided, the endoscope including an objective optical system; an image pickup device for converting an image formed by the objective optical system into a video signal which can be indicated in the TV monitor; a signal generator for generating a control signal to be supplied to said peripheral device so as to control the peripheral device; and a transmitter for transmitting the video signal to the TV monitor while no control signal is generated by the signal generator, and for transmitting both the video signal and the control signal to the TV monitor and the peripheral device upon the control signal being generated by the signal generator, as a radio signal, by radio control.
Preferably, the video signal and the control signal is transmitted by radio control on one channel.
Preferably, the endoscope further comprises a signal adder for adding the control signal to the video signal to output the video signal added with the control signal to the transmitter.
In an embodiment, the video signal is a TV signal, and the signal adder adds the control signal to a blanking interval of said TV signal so that said blanking interval includes the control signal.
In an embodiment, the signal generator includes an operation member for controlling the peripheral device so that the signal generator generates the control signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.
In an embodiment, the peripheral device is a video printer which prints the image picked-up by the image pickup device
In an embodiment, the peripheral device is an image recorder which records the image picked-up by the image pickup device.
The endoscope can be applied to, for example, a fiberscope, a rigid endoscope, an electronic endoscope, or an endoscope having an optical fiber through which the image formed by the objective optical system is transmitted, so that the image transmitted through the optical fiber can be picked up by the image pickup device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an endoscope system including an endoscope, a TV monitor, and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor is provided, the endoscope including an objective optical system; an image pickup device for producing a video signal, which can be indicated in the TV monitor, from an image formed by the objective optical system; a signal generator which generates an information signal for indicating a setting state of said image pickup device in said TV monitor.
Preferably, the endoscope further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the video signal and the information signal, which constitutes a radio signal, to the TV monitor by radio control, so that both the image picked-up by said image pickup device and the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated in the TV monitor.
In an embodiment, the signal generator includes an operation member for changing the setting state of the image pickup device so that the signal generator generates the information signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.
Preferably, the information signal includes a character signal, so that the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated by characters in the TV monitor.
Preferably, the endoscope further comprises a signal adder for adding the information signal to the video signal to output the video signal added with the information signal to the transmitter.
In an embodiment, the video signal is a TV signal, and the signal adder adds the information signal to a displayed period of the TV signal.
In an embodiment, an image masking device is further provided, for adding a image masking signal to the video signal in order to mask the periphery of the image picked-up by the image pickup device, and wherein said signal adder adds the information signal to the image masking signal, and wherein said transmitter transmits the video signal added with the masking signal which includes the information signal, by radio control.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a video camera for an endoscope which is provided with a TV monitor and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor is provided, the video camera including an image pickup device which converts an image formed by the endoscope into a video signal which can be indicated in said TV monitor; a signal generator for generating a control signal to be supplied to said peripheral device so as to control the peripheral device; and a transmitter for transmitting the video signal to the TV monitor while no control signal is generated by said signal generator, and for transmitting both the video signal and the control signal to the TV monitor and the peripheral device upon the control signal being generated by said signal generator, as a radio signal, by radio control.
Preferably, the endoscope further comprises a signal adder for adding the control signal to the video signal to output the video signal added with said control signal to the transmitter.
In an embodiment, the signal generator includes an operation member for controlling the peripheral device so that the signal generator generates the control signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.
In an embodiment, the video signal is a TV signal, and the signal adder adds the control signal to a blanking interval of said TV signal so that said blanking interval includes the control signal.
In an embodiment, the peripheral device is a video printer which prints the image picked-up by the image pickup device.
In an embodiment, the peripheral device is an image recorder which records the image picked-up by the image pickup device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a video camera for an endoscope which is provided with a TV monitor and a peripheral device separate from the endoscope and the TV monitor is provided, the video camera including an image pickup device which produces a video signal, which can be indicated in said TV monitor, from an image formed by the endoscope; a signal generator which generates an information signal for indicating a setting state of said video camera.
Preferably, the video camera further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the video signal and the information signal, which constitutes a radio signal, to the TV monitor by radio control, so that both the image picked-up by the image pickup device and the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated in the TV monitor.
In an embodiment, the signal generator includes an operation member for changing the setting state of the video camera so that the signal generator generates the information signal in accordance with operation of the operation member.
Preferably, the information signal includes a character signal, so that the setting state of the image pickup device can be indicated by characters in the TV monitor.
Preferably, the endoscope further comprises a signal adder for adding the information signal to the video signal to output the video signal added with the information signal to the transmitter.
In an embodiment, the video signal is a TV signal, and the signal adder adds the information signal to a displayed period of said TV signal.
In an embodiment, an image masking device is further provided, for adding a image masking signal to the video signal in order to mask the periphery of the image picked-up by the image pickup device, and wherein said signal adder adds the information signal to the image masking signal, and wherein said transmitter transmits the video signal added with the masking signal which includes the information signal, by radio control.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 2000-42517 (filed on Feb. 21, 2000), 2000-43768 (filed on Feb. 22, 2000) and 2000-113712 (filed on Apr. 14, 2000) which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.